Monogram unit



March 19, 1935. M. CHERNOVW 1,994,686

MONOGRAM UNI T Filed Dec. 3, 1934 J7 INVENTOR Michael Liierzzow J5 I ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MONOGRAM UNIT Michael Chernow, New York, N. Y. Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,669

17 Claims. (01. 40-140) My present invention relates more especially to monogram units-of the type for use on baggage, handbags, belt buckles, dress findings and in nu- -merous other relations.

An object of the invention is to provide a monogram unit of the above type, which can be made up as required, for any combination of initials or emblems, by ready insertion of the separate initials or emblems into a frame, or holder with the resultant effect of a unitary or integral and costly handmade monogram.

Another object is to provide a unit of the above type, in which the selected initials or emblems can be readily incorporated in the frame by the sales person, as required by the customer, without resort to any tools, solder, cement or other binder or even the need for clenching a prong.

Another object is to provide a monogram device of the above type, the constituent parts of which 20 may all be simple stampings, that can be accurately produced, at relatively small cost, yet to afford an especially rich and attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide a device of the 25 above type which while maintaining the 'assem-- bly as a rigid unit against likelihood of accidentally coming apart under conditions of even severe handling in actual service, can yet be readily disassembled at will without resort to tools and without injury to the constituent parts, so as to admit of convenient changes in the initials or emblems, as desired.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of, various possible embodiments of the 35 several features of the invention, I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the completed construction,

Fig. 2 is a front view on a larger scale, longitudinally sectioned in part to disclose the interior construction of the unit,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on a still larger scale taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, I

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame body,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the frame cover, and,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view on substantially the scale of Fig. .2 of one of the characters or initials. Referring now to the drawing, the initial frame is preferably of composite construction, including 50 th framebody 10, which may be a generally rectangular frame of brass or other inexpensive metal, and a. frame cover or frame'holder preferably of harder metal, comprising a generally r tilinear open tray, 11, having a rim 12 adapted 5 to enclose theframe body, the frame cover tray being substantially filled by the frame body, the back of which preferably comes substantially flush with the rim of the tray, as best shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably, the front of the frame body is rab- 5 beted as at 13 at its upper beam 10 to afford in cooperation with the frame cover or holder, a channel 14 extending the length of the upper rim of the frame opening 15. The lower beam of the frame opening with the corresponding frame 10 cover part also presents a channel formation as at 16 but the floor of said channel formation is resiliently mounted. For this purpose, it is preferred to have the frame body 10 greatly thinned from the front face of the lower beam as at 10 to a thickness but a fraction of that of the opposite beam 10. Shoulders 17 which function as stops as hereinafter set forth, are thus determined at the lower ends of the lateral beams 10 of the frame body, at the line of demarcation between 20 the thinned portion and the main body. Preferably the extreme lower edge of the lower beam and the outer edges of the lateral beams are not thinned, and accordingly afford a thin bordering flange 18 about the lower and lateral edges of the thinned beam 10 It will be clear to those skilled in die designing that the frame body with its thinned lower beam and its shoulders can be readily produced in a single stamping operation.

A metal follower or equalizer bar 19 is lodged in the cavity or trough determined by thinned beam 10 and its bordering flange 18. The ends of said bar 19 extend beyond the lateral rims of opening 15 and are oblique as at 20 for coaction with the correspondingly oblique stop shoulders 1'7. A- spring wire 21 symmetrically curved as shown is also lodged in the cavity or trough de-- termined by the thinned beam 10 and its bordering flange. Its ends react against follower bar 19, and its intermediate length engages flange 18 of the frame body 10. Ofcourse flange 18 could be 0 omitted, in which case the spring 21 reacts directly against the lower flange of cover rim 11. c

Thus, prior to insertion of characters, the follower bar 19 is urged byspring 21 for its ends 20 to engage stops 1'7. In the assembled frame it is seen that the spring 21 and the follower bar I 19 are permanently lodged in place, both being held in position between the flange 18 of the cover and the shoulders 17 of the frame body and its'faces between the thinned beam 10 and the corresponding frame cover part 11'. The frame body and cover may beheld together frictionallyor they may be secured by snap fastening, solderin Fig. 6.

- and therim of the (of the frame. In the ing, brazing, welding, staking or in any way familiar to those skilled in the art- The monograms, initials, or other characters to be used with the frame just described, are shown in place in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and one of said characters appears apart from the frame This character is a relatively rigid metal piece 25, the effective height of which is slightly less than the height of the frame opening 15. Preferably the character is of thickness equal to the combined width of, rabbet 13-- and thickness of the stock of the frame cover 11, so that when the character is in place, its exposed face will come substantially flush with the face of the frame cover 11. Said character, however, has extensions 26 and 27 respectively, at its upper and lower ends, rigid with the stamping, said extensions being flush with the rear wall of the characters, but of thickness less than the thickness of the stock of the frame cover 11.

The characters can readily be introduced from the front of the open frame by introducing their lower ends into the'lower channel 16 thereby pressing the follower bar 19 downward against its backing spring 21, whereupon the upper extension 26 readily clears the upper rim of the frame opening for registry with the upper charinel 14 of the frame. When the character is now let go, the spring 21 resiliently returns the follower 19 raising the character 25 slightly to cause its upper extension 26 to occupy the rabbet 13 and to fill the upper channel 14 in the frame, thereby resiliently to retain the character in place, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown, the upper channel 14 is slightly shallower than .the height of the upper extension 26, to afford a small space 30 between the top of the character frame, and the effectiveheight of-the character. is slightly less than the height of the frame opening as set forth to afiord a corresponding small space 31 between the lower end of the character and the corresponding rim same way, one or more-other characters maybe inserted, partially 'or wholly to fill the opening of the frame and thereby to complete the monogram, as shown in Fig. 1.

-In order to guard against possible lateral shifting of the characters within the opening of the frame, it is preferred as best shown in the drawing, to mill the upper and lower edges of the character extensions as at 32, to correspondingly mill the floor of channel 14 at 33 and the exposed face of follower bar 19 at 34. Thus, when the character is once positioned, it is substantially locked by the cooperation of the milled teeth against ready displacement along the frame opening.

The completed unit as best shownin Fig. 1 presents the appearance of an integral piece of metal, with the initials cut therein since, as previously described, the facesof the respective characters come flush with the face of the frame, the metal appearing to be completely cut away about the entire perimeter of the characters, except at the bridgesjoining their tops and bottoms to the frame, and here the metal appears to be partly cut through at 30 and 31. It is clear that a wide choiceof diversely colored metals or finishes of enamel or the like could be resorted to, to bring about any'of a variety of effects.

While the characters can be applied to the frame, as set forth, apart from any article of manufacture, if desired, it will be readily seen 3 that it is just as convenient to apply said characters from the front of the frame, evenafter place, especially where the frame 10-11- is l0 already in afiixed position.

It is also apparent that whether the unitbe a part of such article of manufacture, or sold separate therefrom, the characters canmeadily be removed as desired,. by pressing the same 15 downward against the follower bar 19 and its, backing spring 21, thereby to permit the upper extension 26 to be tilted forward for withdrawal of the character from the frame, to be replaced by other characters, as desired.

The special design of monogram, for instance, where the characters are mounted in stepped re-- lation, each say at a level somewhat higher than the character to its left, the frame and the follower bar could be correspondingly conformed at, their points of engagement with the upper and lower ends of the characters.

It is also clear that the outer periphery of the frame could be of oval or of any of a wide variety of shapes, as desired.

It is, of course, understood that the term monogram or initia as heretofore used, is not strictly to be confined to symbols, represent? ing letters of the alphabet, but the principle of the invention lends itself to application for a wide variety of emblems or symbols of many types, which can be introduced as required.

The specific construction described in-the foregoing whilev preferred, is, of course, only illustrative of a wide variety of possible constructions coming within the scope of the invention, as herein claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A monogram unit comprising a frame having an opening with a rim, one or more relatively rigid characters releasably fixed in said opening, each of said characters having unitary extensions at its top and at its bottom lodged under the rim of the opening, and a relatively rigid floor resiliently mounted and coacting with the corresponding extensions of the several characters.

2. A monogram unit comprising a frame with an opening, said opening having an undercut topand bottom rim, relatively rigid characters having reduced extensions fitting into the respective undercut portions, with the faces of .said characters exposed in said openframe, and a relatively rigid floor resiliently mounted in one of said undercut portions.

3. A monogram unit comprising an open frame, channeled at its upper and lower ends, the floor of one of said channels being relatively rigid and resiliently lodged in said frame, whereby relatively rigid. characters with unitary extension end lugs may be readily inserted into and main-' tainedinsaid frame with said lugs in said channels.

4. A monogram unit comprising a frame having a rectilinear opening, said frame at the upperand lower, rim of said opening having channel formations, to accommodate extension lugs .on

rigid characters to be releasably mounted in said frame, the floor of' one of said channels being relatively rigid but resiliently mounted, to permit insertion of said characters and resilient retention thereof.

5. A monogram unit comprising a frame having an opening therein with substantially rectilinear upper and lower rims, said frame having channel formations at said respective rims, the floor of one of said channels being a substantially rigid bar, a spring backing said bar, the sides of said frame having limiting stops normally engaged by the ends of said bar.

6. A monogram unit comprising a frame having an opening therein with substantially rectilinear upper and lower rims, said frame having channel formations at said respective rims, the floor of one of said channels being a substantially rigid bar, a springbacking said bar and limiting stop means for said bar within said frame, relatively stiff releasable characters of substantially the height of said frame opening, each of said characters having a shoulder adapted substantially to abut the rim of the opening and having extension lugs beyond the shoulder to extend into the respective channels, the yielding channel floor permitting the ready installation of the characters with their extension lugs.

, 7. A monogram unit comprising a frame, having an opening therein with rectilinear lower and upper rims, said frame having channel formations at said respective rims, one of said channel formations having a movable floor, including a relatively rigid bar of metal and a spring within said frame, urging said bar toward the center of said frame, said frame presenting stop means to confine said bar within said frame.

8. A monogram unit comprising a composite frame including an open frame body, and an open frame cover, said frame elements determining therebetween a channel formation along one edge of said frame opening and a deep channel formation in the opposite rim of said frame opening, a metal bar lodged in said latter channel formation, a spring backing said metal bar and reacting against the floor of said channel to urge said metal bar resiliently toward the center of said frame.

9. A monogram frame comprising a generally rectilinear frame body element being substantially reduced in thickness at the lower beam thereof,and thereby presenting shoulders at the lateral beams thereof, an open frame cover element having a flange enclosing said frame body element, said frame body element being rabbeted at its upper beam to present a channel in cooperation with the frame cover, a metal-equalizer bar lodged over the thinned lower beam of said frame .body, and with its ends adapted to abut said shoulders, and a spring lodged over the thinned lower beam of. said frame body reacting against said equalizer bar and urging it toward said shoulders.

10. A monogram frame comprising a generally rectilinear frame body, substantially reduced in thickness at the lower beam thereof, and presenting oblique shoulders at the lateral beams thereof, an open frame cover element having a flange enclosing said frame body element, said frame body element being rabbeted at its upper beam to present a channel in cooperation with the frame cover, a metal equalizer bar lodged over the thin lower beam of said frame body, and with its ends adapted to abut said shoulders, a spring reacting against the corresponding outer rim of said frame and urging said equalizer bar toward said shoulders said channel and said equalizer bar being milled for cooperation with correspondingly milled lugs on the ends of characters to be releasably inserted into said frame.

l1.-A monogram unit comprising a rigid open frame, presenting channeled rectilinear upper and lower parallel inner rims, one of said channels being relatively shallow,- the other of said channels relatively deep, a' rigid metal follower lodged in said deep channel, said frame presenting stops to confine the ends of said follower within said channel, and a spring backing said follower and reacting against the outer part of said frame structure to urge said follower inwardly.

12. A monogram unit comprising a rigid open frame, presenting channeled rectilinear upper and lower parallel inner edges, one of said channels being relatively shallow, the other of said channels relatively deep, a rigid metal follower lodged in said deep channel, said frame presenting stops to confine the ends of said follower within said channel, and a spring backing said follower and reacting against the outer part of said frame structure to urge said follower inwardly, and relatively rigid metal characters of height corresponding to that of the frame opening and having reduced extension lugs, fitting into said respective channels, the yielding follower bar permitting the ready insertion of said characters from the open face of said frame.

13. A monogram unit comprising an open frame having a channel formation along the upper and lower beam of its opening, the upper of said channel formations being shallow, the

'lower of said formations being relatively deep and having a rigid follower bar resiliently lodged therein, relatively rigid characters of exposed height substantially equal to the height of said frame opening and having upper and lower ex tensions to fit into the respective channels, each of said extensions being milled and the channel releasably mounted in said'frame, each of said characters being of effective height substantially equal to the height of the frame opening, each having an extension lug thereabove and therebelow, said extension. lugs being substantially flush with the back face of said characters and thinner than the body of said character, to respectively extend into the channel formations with the outer face of the characters substantially flush with the face of said frame piece.

15. A monogram unit comprising a frame body presenting a continuous perimeter of substantially uniform thickness and an opening frame, one side of said frame being materially thinner throughout and presenting a border flange at its outer edge, resilient follower means reacting against said bordering edge and lodged in said thinner portion, and a frame cover attached over said frame body and concealing the follower bar.

16. A monogram unit comprising an open carrying-frame presenting channels at the upper and lower rims of the opening thereof, one of said channels having a resilient follower therein, relatively rigid metal characters having unitary upper and lower extensions, the extension at the upper part of the character being of height slight- 1y greater than the depth of the channel thereof, whereby the top of the mounted character will be spaced slightly from the rim, the efiective height of the character being such that its lower edge is correspondingly spaced slightly from the lower rim of the opening when the character is mounted in position, with the lower extension resiliently held in the lower channel and against the follower. 1 Y x 17. A monogram unit comprising a frame structure having a front and a back presenting an opening with parallel rectilinear upper and lower rims, each of said rims having channels for accommodation of extensions on the ends of relatively rigid characters insertable thereinto, said frame having resilient means for facilitating such insertion, the wall of the back of one of said channels presenting a guide exposed to view.

through the opening in the front of said frame and facilitating the positioning of said characters, said extensions of thickness substantially 10 equal to the width of said channels.

MICHAEL CHERNOW. 

